Founded by five farmers who purchased 20,000 acres of land from the Ramapoo Indians, Ridgefield's Main Street is the same layout today as it was originally. In 1777, American Generals Wooster and Arnold attempted to hold off the British during the Revolutionary War in the Battle of Ridgefield, the only land battle on Connecticut soil during the Revolution. After the Civil War, Ridgefield remained a farming village. In the mid 1800s wealthy New Yorkers discovered Ridgefield to be a delightful summer retreat. As a resort area, it attracted many artistic and professional people. Between 1960 and 1970, Ridgefield´s population swelled from 8,000 to 19,000. The population has now stabilized around 22,000.